It’s happening. Recognition that not all sexual abuse is the same has begun. Until now, rape, pedophilia and unwanted touching, were lumped together. Then, on Dec. 11, Sen. Corey Booker (D-NJ) weighed the actions of one offender with that of another, like this: “I just watched Sen. Al Franken do the honorable thing and resign from his office. My question is, why isn't Donald Trump doing the same thing -- who has more serious allegations against him, with more women who have come forward. The fact pattern on him is far more damning than the fact pattern on Al Franken."
Parallel universe
Trump is not likely to grasp Booker’s point.
Despite his middle-class upbringing, he seems to suffer from vain pretensions of privilege and does as he pleases. A case can be made that he patterns himself after royalty. Two monarchs, in particular, come to mind – England’s Charles Ii and his first cousin King Louis Xiv of France.
You can spot the president’s kinship to the British monarch in a new exhibit titled “Charles II: Art and Power” in the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. For one thing, Donald and Charles share a cavalier attitude toward women. The king’s inclinations are obvious in the large numerous portraits of his mistresses. And Trump’s lecherous leanings are well known through his interviews with radio personality Howard Stern.
Then there’s the monumental size of the portraits they commission.
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Trump’s penchant for oversized likenesses of himself, such as the 5-story rendition on the side of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and his 6-foot-tall image hanging in his baronial Mar-a-Lago, parallel the giant 9-foot-tall portrait of Charles in the Queen’s Gallery show.
As well, the long swath of red velvet down the center of the king’s torso brings to mind Trump’s trademark train of red necktie; although this style choice more likely stems from the need to mask his bulging belly. More to the point is the president’s fondness for flash and Charles’ propensities as the king of bling, not to mention his willingness to tax his subjects heavily to pay for it all.
The color of money
As for Charles’ first cousin Louis XIV’s sway over Trump, consider the king’s lavish Palace of Versailles and the president’s grandiose 3-story penthouse fronted by a gold and diamond door. The precious metal pretty much marks everything inside - floors, walls and crown molding. Also, the furniture is vintage Louis XIV. So is the vast view of Central Park, which makes it Trump’s own Garden of Versailles. But here’s the thing: both Charles and Louis were patrons of the arts. The French king’s collection of paintings and drawings filled the Louvre and Charles collected drawings by Michelangelo and Da Vinci. Trump’s claim to fame is a bronze copy of Eros & Psyche that you can buy on eBay for $135. This makes him a cheap imitation of the royals - except for the lechery.
